And although many people, especially strangers who see it fit to share openly, tell me that I look so small for this far in pregnancy, I need to tell you, I do not feel the same way.
I've got a more compact, tight bundle of pregnancy in my front right now. My dear girl is constantly doing jumping jacks and getting hiccups and fidgeting.
I am pretty sick now with a sinus infection and bronchitis, so I bet she is getting a lot of disrupted sleep due to coughing and my whining about feeling so pitiful.
In previous weeks I felt totally okay with an early delivery baby. Right now though, the thought of that scares me. My house needs a good cleaning, as in, getting the winter gunk out. My body needs a good healing (also getting the winter gunk out). I want this baby's arrival to be peaceful for me, and feeling stress about getting her sick or getting the gunk off the baseboards and etc. do not make for a peaceful welcome home experience!
In other news, I have decided that I feel much more okay having a baby shower in some sort of format for this pregnancy than any other. I feel so safe in this pregnancy and have a new realization that it is something that should be commemorated with a rite of passage like a special party. I do not expect presents or whatever, but I do want to listen to and enjoy the company of others who already love this baby, too.
Saturday, February 26, 2011
Saturday, February 19, 2011
Practicing For You.
Daniel needs some practice in gentleness. That is why I got him this doll. He is enjoying looking at its belly button and facial features, but isn't very interested in it that much. You will be much more fascinating, I am sure! This summer perhaps we'll have a similar photo of you propped up on the couch with him during his afternoon drink and TV time.
Contraction City.
That's what you and I are enduring these days, babe.
Its really uncomfortable for me, as if I am wearing the tightest belt ever at my rib cage and as if my abdomen was made of some type of firm basketball (not a foursquare ball... a really old, well played with, no tread left- bball).
But you've got to be uncomfortable, too, what with all that kicking and rolling and jabbing you are doing to escape and find a more spacious place to rest in this often shrinking space you're living in.
You are only 4 lbs and 31 weeks into gestation, so its unfair to wish you out of the nest already, but wow, I think I am reconsidering the idea of totally unscheduled birthing activities for you. Therefore, we might be meeting sooner (either because you've made the choice or my pelvic floor has!) based on the idea of Dr. Grant thinking 38 weeks gestation is a totally fine length of time.
So.... maximum two months until our discomfort is over. HOOOray.
Its really uncomfortable for me, as if I am wearing the tightest belt ever at my rib cage and as if my abdomen was made of some type of firm basketball (not a foursquare ball... a really old, well played with, no tread left- bball).
But you've got to be uncomfortable, too, what with all that kicking and rolling and jabbing you are doing to escape and find a more spacious place to rest in this often shrinking space you're living in.
You are only 4 lbs and 31 weeks into gestation, so its unfair to wish you out of the nest already, but wow, I think I am reconsidering the idea of totally unscheduled birthing activities for you. Therefore, we might be meeting sooner (either because you've made the choice or my pelvic floor has!) based on the idea of Dr. Grant thinking 38 weeks gestation is a totally fine length of time.
So.... maximum two months until our discomfort is over. HOOOray.
Tuesday, February 15, 2011
Gifts from Mississippi!
Its your first out of state present... from a Target in MS! And from my best friend, Ann. You might call her Aunt one day, out of respect and familiarity, or perhaps Mrs. Hoemann. I am not sure. But these are some very cute sleepers and a 3 month sun dress that is too precious.
Your dad REALLY likes these types of sleepers... zips are so easy!
Honestly, I will get more enjoyment from this dress than you will. It is so sweet.
Gifts from Grandma Becky
Baby girl clothes are just irresistible. Here are two gowns from Grandma Becky! She gave them to you with our family's Valentine's Day package.
We have a few of these gowns that we dressed your brother in, but if this is possible, they are actually a little more masculine than I'd like. How can a dress be masculine? I know! But these ones are frilly and beautiful. We really like them with leggings or leg warmers because they make cloth diaper changes so easy!
(More) Gifts from Aunt Rachie
She loves to shop; she loves you. I predict this means you will always have something wonderful in your closet!
I LOVE the matching cardigan!
No need for shoes. You've got them sewn in!
This was her favorite detail... ruffles on the bottom!
And here's a larger size dress you'll wear when you start crawling and toddling. Its so cheerful that I imagine you wearing pony tails with it, too. (If you are like your brother though... no hope of any hair accessories until after age 2!)
Monday, February 14, 2011
So Many Beautiful Things!
Dear Darling,
You won't be born for another two months, but I have to tell you that you've been given seven perfectly pink and girly outfits in the last three days! The theme is pink floral this spring, I think. The baby fashion designers must have gotten together and planned this out! These clothes are just so pretty.
So we'll take your photos in these pretty clothes soon, and perhaps you'll pose with your Aunt Rachie, Aunt Ann, and Grandma Becky in the clothes they have bought you!
I've been so tempted to buy more pink diapers lately. The colors are called Blossom and Sweet. They sound just SO perfect for you!
Nothing I dress your brother in can be classified as beautiful. Some outfits are adorable, some are handsome, some are fashionable. None are beautiful!
Its okay if you don't end up being a prissy girl or if you prefer to wear solid colors over pastel florals. One day you'll agree you were the most beautiful darling in these clothes!
You won't be born for another two months, but I have to tell you that you've been given seven perfectly pink and girly outfits in the last three days! The theme is pink floral this spring, I think. The baby fashion designers must have gotten together and planned this out! These clothes are just so pretty.
So we'll take your photos in these pretty clothes soon, and perhaps you'll pose with your Aunt Rachie, Aunt Ann, and Grandma Becky in the clothes they have bought you!
I've been so tempted to buy more pink diapers lately. The colors are called Blossom and Sweet. They sound just SO perfect for you!
Nothing I dress your brother in can be classified as beautiful. Some outfits are adorable, some are handsome, some are fashionable. None are beautiful!
Its okay if you don't end up being a prissy girl or if you prefer to wear solid colors over pastel florals. One day you'll agree you were the most beautiful darling in these clothes!
Monday, February 7, 2011
Daniel REALLY likes you.
He hugs and kisses you and lately, as my belly has started to grow and stick out more, he wants to cuddle with you. It is so sweet. Tonight he lay his head on my belly and just smiled and snuggled. You kicked his face and he pushed you back. I think he will be in love with you when you are out in the open!
Sunday, February 6, 2011
Two Decisions Made!
1) To create a baby registry. I debated about this because I thought some people might consider it tacky to do this for a second child. Then I reconsidered and thought that this baby would probably also like to know she had one and that we were accepting presents on her behalf. So, though her registry has less than 20 items on it, its still there. And there are some CUTE pink things.
2) A name. Well, its the name I will use if my husband and I don't discuss names any further and for some reason I decide not to listen to his input, either. Its not a public name though... because likely we will not need an emergency name and hopefully we will discuss the name and create it TOGETHER. But I feel safe and happy knowing that if I have a premature baby, she will have a name immediately and we won't have to hem and haw over it.
2) A name. Well, its the name I will use if my husband and I don't discuss names any further and for some reason I decide not to listen to his input, either. Its not a public name though... because likely we will not need an emergency name and hopefully we will discuss the name and create it TOGETHER. But I feel safe and happy knowing that if I have a premature baby, she will have a name immediately and we won't have to hem and haw over it.
Tuesday, February 1, 2011
End of the Second Trimester! And Beginning of the Last!
The second trimester of this pregnancy is over! I am pretty happy about this for a few reasons.
First of all, it wasn't obvious to many that I was actually pregnant up through the first six months. In mid January I did a prenatal yoga series frequently, which moved the baby from deep in my pelvis up. It was more comfortable for me, but it totally changed my profile! I am not obviously pregnant. This means I have been receiving more kind gestures at work and in public places. I am totally content with people offering to carry heavy objects for me or to hold doors. Thank you!
Secondly, the all day nausea has stopped, and with that, I only throw up a few times per day now. Usually, its in the morning. I find that the strong acid reflux medicine, when taken at night, really helps me to have less throwing up in the morning. Therefore, I am able to eat breakfast, which means I throw up less through the days. The cycle is starting to break! This is truly wonderful. I don't have to take the expensive anti-nausea medicine anymore. I hope that as time goes by, the nausea and vomiting will stop completely. It did with Daniel at about 8.5 months. I am at 7 months now, and there are many days when I cannot eat dinner because of how sick I feel or I go to be feeling sick, but it was 100% of the time for months 1-5, so this is great improvement!
Next of all, it makes a lot more logical sense for me to be physically and mentally preparing for the baby if the bulk of gestation is over. In my mind, I am so much less worried about the health of the pregnancy than I was a few weeks ago. I cannot even compare this experience to Daniel's pregnancy, wherein I was afraid of his death until weeks after he is born. I think I will be truly surprised if there are complications, whereas before I predicted them and assumed them. This confidence helps me to prepare for buying baby girl things and also rethinking how we schedule our day and our our lives will change.
Other news....
I did not gain weight this trimester. I lost weight. I am so happy for the majority of winter to be OVER so I won't catch any more terrible viruses or flus or other diseases. I spent so much time being regular-sick that it was almost unimportant that I was morning-sick. I was sick nearly the entire month of November and had the worst stomach bug I've had in years just before Christmas.
We are nearly certain we won't buy H2 a crib, not right away. We had planned on purchasing a mini crib and putting it up in our room. However, our son slept in the moses basket for two months, and thus we think that DHH will be ready for a different bed set up by the time she needs a bed. We'll cross that bridge when we get there! She might find her way into a mini crib or her brother's crib. We're not sure yet! At this point, it doesn't seem to be as big of a deal. We know that we can get 2 day shipping for the crib through Amazon Prime, and we hope that we'll have some gift cards or money to use to prepare for that.
I've decided to go totally disposable free with this baby, too. That means Huggies wipes, Pampers Swaddlers, and bottle liners won't have a place in our house! I have nearly enough cloth to bring to the hospital (yes, there, too!) and the cloth wipe system we've been using is fantastic. I am not sure why I used the Playtex Drop Ins... perhaps it was just a bottle I had from a shower, but I will nurse the first month and then she'll have a daily bottle of expressed milk from an Avent bottle we already own. I think that since its a once a day thing, we won't have all these dirty bottles lying about the house. It should be easy to rinse them and then put them in the dishwasher. I am totally comfortable with this decision to make less trash for the baby and I think its as important for me as a statement about how I feel about sustainable living as how I feel about wasting money by throwing baby items away!
At my last appointment, I rescheduled the gestational diabetes test for this week, but today the receptionist notified me that The Blizzard will cause the office to close. I will take it later. I've also asked the doctor to not have weekly appointments unless he finds a reason to schedule them, so I'll go every other week, sort of a low-high risk sort of appointment.
First of all, it wasn't obvious to many that I was actually pregnant up through the first six months. In mid January I did a prenatal yoga series frequently, which moved the baby from deep in my pelvis up. It was more comfortable for me, but it totally changed my profile! I am not obviously pregnant. This means I have been receiving more kind gestures at work and in public places. I am totally content with people offering to carry heavy objects for me or to hold doors. Thank you!
Secondly, the all day nausea has stopped, and with that, I only throw up a few times per day now. Usually, its in the morning. I find that the strong acid reflux medicine, when taken at night, really helps me to have less throwing up in the morning. Therefore, I am able to eat breakfast, which means I throw up less through the days. The cycle is starting to break! This is truly wonderful. I don't have to take the expensive anti-nausea medicine anymore. I hope that as time goes by, the nausea and vomiting will stop completely. It did with Daniel at about 8.5 months. I am at 7 months now, and there are many days when I cannot eat dinner because of how sick I feel or I go to be feeling sick, but it was 100% of the time for months 1-5, so this is great improvement!
Next of all, it makes a lot more logical sense for me to be physically and mentally preparing for the baby if the bulk of gestation is over. In my mind, I am so much less worried about the health of the pregnancy than I was a few weeks ago. I cannot even compare this experience to Daniel's pregnancy, wherein I was afraid of his death until weeks after he is born. I think I will be truly surprised if there are complications, whereas before I predicted them and assumed them. This confidence helps me to prepare for buying baby girl things and also rethinking how we schedule our day and our our lives will change.
Other news....
I did not gain weight this trimester. I lost weight. I am so happy for the majority of winter to be OVER so I won't catch any more terrible viruses or flus or other diseases. I spent so much time being regular-sick that it was almost unimportant that I was morning-sick. I was sick nearly the entire month of November and had the worst stomach bug I've had in years just before Christmas.
We are nearly certain we won't buy H2 a crib, not right away. We had planned on purchasing a mini crib and putting it up in our room. However, our son slept in the moses basket for two months, and thus we think that DHH will be ready for a different bed set up by the time she needs a bed. We'll cross that bridge when we get there! She might find her way into a mini crib or her brother's crib. We're not sure yet! At this point, it doesn't seem to be as big of a deal. We know that we can get 2 day shipping for the crib through Amazon Prime, and we hope that we'll have some gift cards or money to use to prepare for that.
I've decided to go totally disposable free with this baby, too. That means Huggies wipes, Pampers Swaddlers, and bottle liners won't have a place in our house! I have nearly enough cloth to bring to the hospital (yes, there, too!) and the cloth wipe system we've been using is fantastic. I am not sure why I used the Playtex Drop Ins... perhaps it was just a bottle I had from a shower, but I will nurse the first month and then she'll have a daily bottle of expressed milk from an Avent bottle we already own. I think that since its a once a day thing, we won't have all these dirty bottles lying about the house. It should be easy to rinse them and then put them in the dishwasher. I am totally comfortable with this decision to make less trash for the baby and I think its as important for me as a statement about how I feel about sustainable living as how I feel about wasting money by throwing baby items away!
At my last appointment, I rescheduled the gestational diabetes test for this week, but today the receptionist notified me that The Blizzard will cause the office to close. I will take it later. I've also asked the doctor to not have weekly appointments unless he finds a reason to schedule them, so I'll go every other week, sort of a low-high risk sort of appointment.
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